ovdje - Hrvatsko filozofsko društvo

ON THE NEOLIBERAL PARADIGM AND
CROATIAN HIGHER EDUCATION
Today, most of the analysts agree: about three decades ago a turn
happened. The neoclassical economic policy ceded place to a policy that
basically varies already forgotten classical themes. “Invisible hand” and
“laissez-faire” once again become cornerstones of economic theory and
practice. This happens especially in the business world where there are
many who believe that, in the process of making money, competition and
the market best direct their activities towards socially beneficial result, and
the only thing the parasite state does is taking taxes and creating obstacles
along the way. Globalisation is taking place, the phenomenon that most
strongly affects contemporary societies, especially their economies. Proponents
of globalisation claim that changes are possible only with the help
of the neoliberal concept, by pulling the state out of all economic activities
and the entire public sector. In time they even agree to the “soft version”,
which gives the government somewhat greater role, but it is always a “market
friendly” policy, one that does not affect the allocation of resources at
the level of activity. A comparison imposes itself: every neoliberal variation
basically agrees with the fundamental postulates of the classical concept
which ruled over a hundred years ago. Briefly, the market is efficient,
the state is not. Regardless of resource efficiency and the public interest.
The notion ‘neoliberalism’ is used in many different ways. Most often
are three positions: (a) economic-pragmatic, which considers neoliberalism
its developmental theory and reform economic policy, and its footholds
finds in the “Washington consensus”, (b) ideological, which focuses on
freedom as the greatest social value closely tied to reducing the state to its
“minimum”, and (c) academic, paradigmatic, which connects neoliberalism
to neoclassical economic theory. In addition, the use of the term ‘neoliberal’
has different meaning in economics than in politics. (Neo)liberalism in
economics refers to the “liberation” of the economy of the “state slavery”,
i.e. releasing the economy in the hands of the private sector. In politics, it is
the creation of a liberal atmosphere for economic development, where the
state functions as the protector of private ownership rights and implements
this in its spheres of influence (army, legal system, etc.). In case there is no
market or that it is organised according to the neoliberal concept (land, water,
education, health care, social security, environmental pollution, etc.) it
will do its best to create it. Nevertheless, in accordance with the neoliberal
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